Joan Ganz Cooney | 04/23/2008 11:23 am

Joan Cooney: Senators Clinton and Obama Have Made Each Other Unelectable

I’ve been trying to figure out post-Pennsylvania what I think about what’s happening in the Democratic party. Originally I had been for Hillary, but when I found I couldn’t stand to watch her out on the campaign trail anymore, I began to favor Obama. I have always had my doubts about both candidates. I wanted, as so many others do, to move on from Clintons and Bushes and yet Obama seemed, well, inexperienced to me, even a bit callow. I have never understood the hysteria that attended the first months of his candidacy. Now, he has been bloodied by Hillary and others, including George and Charlie, and so I see him as weaker as a candidate now than he was earlier.

The truth is, I believe, that they have made each other unelectable. If she is the candidate, many African Americans, maybe most, and many other Democrats will either stay home or vote for McCain because they are so angry at her. If he is the candidate, all her criticisms of him, and in addition the Rev. Wright tapes, will be aired ad nauseam by the Republicans and will seriously hurt him. And I fear that racism is still alive and well in America (as is sexism) so the Democrats may have managed to do what was thought to be impossible: Lose the coming election, and prove yet again that they are peerless when it comes to the art of self destruction.

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Read more about: Barack Obama, Election, Hillary Clinton, Pennsylvania, Politics

114 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

It has been said that democracy is the worst system in the world — EXCEPT for all the others. I think the 2008 election is far from over, because whichever Democratic candidate runs against “Bush 3,” he or she will be the worst candidate in the world — EXCEPT for his/her opponent. To take just one example: George W. Bush will have single-handedly doubled the national debt, to a staggering ten TRILLION dollars. John McCain proposes to (1) make the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, at a cost to the nation of $300 billion a year; (2) abolish the alternative minimum tax, costing the nation $200 billion a year; and (3) slash the corporate tax rate by 29 percent, costing the nation a minimum of $950 billion a year. McCain also proposes to stay in Iraq for 100 to 10,000 years. Thus, while Bush’s TRUE annual deficit is roughly $750 billion a year, McCain is proposing a deficit of $1,900 billion a year. In 2012, or national debt would be $17 TRILLION. Do we need four more years of this kind of “fiscal responsibility”? Whichever Democrat gets the nomination is proposing adding roughly $80 billion to the deficit — NOT $1,900 billion.

By Mary Matthews on 04/23/2008 11:57 am

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Joan, the Republicans already had all that Jeremiah Wright business in their kitty ready to unleash if Obama got the nom. Hillary didn’t do that to him. Obama chose to have Wright as his spiritual advisor on his campaign. Should she have ignored this? Should any of us have ignored this? Obama would’ve been wise to let Hillary have her moment as he got his ducks in a row, got his chops in the Senate, created a record worthy of leadership and distanced himself from the incendiary Wright. It was Obama’s folly to jump the gun instead of waiting eight short years to become the leader of a super power. Hillary would’ve handed him the Presidency on a silver platter after she fixed the economy during her two terms. But ego and ambition and poor advice led him into the political fray before he was ready. Personally I think Hillary should’ve gone negative much earlier. Obama would’ve been out of the race before Edwards, if Hillary’s misguided campaign team had not tried to take the high road for so long.

By Buh- Bye on 04/23/2008 3:18 pm

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I agree with Mary. Might be a different story with a stronger GOP candidate not wedded at the hip with the current administration’s failed wars. A psychiatrist I strongly suspect McCain has age related cognitive difficulties manifested by an increasingly short temper, his confusion about who are the enemies in Iraq, and his inability to stick to his views. As the pressure mounts towards November what I’m saying will become more and more obvious. A mystery to me how he’ll survive the debates.

By Dr. Mark Klein on 04/23/2008 5:15 pm

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MK-So that he has baggage, is a hot-head and bat-sh*t crazy sums it up.

By No GOP on 04/23/2008 9:25 pm

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We should try not to exaggerate or distort if we are serious about electing the best person to the presidency. If this web site is just going to be liberal propaganda, I can get that anywhere. I’m hoping for serious discussions. This is my first visit - not my last. kk

By kay kay on 04/23/2008 6:56 pm

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Kay Kay- are you speaking about McCain the man who has declared he is fine with war in Iraq for 100 years? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFknKVjuyNk This happens to be what is WRONG with the US and is not to be dismissed by a thinking person as ‘liberal propaganda.’ This illegal invasion has us nearly bankrupt and with the Pentagon Institute issuing a report this week that it is a “debacle” with its future seriously in doubt. Senator Byrd made an excellent floor speech against the planned illegal invasion in Feb 2003 before Bush’s war crime attack on Mar 18, 2003 predicting all that as happened as did the rest of us with a thinking brain. The head’s of all the world’s religions, including Bush/Cheney’s churches, and over 80 million people who protested around the world, a long list of former diplomats and Nobel Prize winners and anyone who knew a lick of history forecast this disaster that has made China our Repo man. If you want to talk propaganda….talk Fox News and all of the lies told to the American public and the world to get us into this travesty. Get some facts, and don’t use ‘liberal propaganda’ about the criminally insane. Anyone who can even think that McClone is presidential material after stating 100 years in Iraq is peachy, is really quite nuts.

By No GOP on 04/23/2008 9:41 pm

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Tax cuts don’t “cost” the nation a penny—it’s not their money! By definition, the government took it—in taxes—tax cuts allow people keep more of THEIR own hard earned money. We, the people, pay the bills. Most people have to perform at a high level in order to gain a raise. Since when do you get a raise for a bad performance at work? That is exactly what the Democratic Congress wants when it proposes to raise taxes. Would you reward incompetence if the government was your employee? People seem to forget that the revenue generated by collecting taxes is not the “government’s” money—it is the people’s money. We all live under budget restrictions, why can’t the government. And besides, tax cuts generate revenue for the government, don’t you people know anything about economics?

By eleanor roche on 04/24/2008 2:29 am

Ladies, Here is a link to send a email to your senators to support the ERA bill that was defeated by Republicans 2 days ago. This link will tell you how your Senators voted. This bill is not dead- they only need 3 Republicans to vote humanely. http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=/now/issues/alert/?al…

By Kay Sara on 04/25/2008 10:45 am

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If Clinton-Obama weren’t so tres fou, they’d unite on a ticket and save the USS Titanic.

By No GOP on 04/23/2008 11:58 am

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Excellent point-Princess Grace-that would be the most humane thing to do if either of them REALLY CARED about the United States of America and the direction we are headed.

By SLH Harris on 04/23/2008 11:03 pm

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Quickly checking my fav site on the way to work - Joan you are so right on and it’s soooo sad. The only thing more sad was watching Hiliary win last night!

By Sharon Belko on 04/23/2008 12:02 pm

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Cher Sharon…soooo C’est Triste is right.

By No GOP on 04/23/2008 2:10 pm

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No Ladies, It is cause for celebration! I have not been so happy in days.

By Olive Oil on 04/23/2008 3:08 pm

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Sorry Sharon, but while you were feeling sad over Hillary’s win…..I was cheering to the rooftops!

By Becky R on 04/23/2008 5:53 pm

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The only thing that makes anyone unelectable is the ridiculous electoral college (worked 200 years ago when no one had any communication)and state special delegates sytem(WTH??). Put them all on a ballot and let the public vote. Period.

By E W on 04/23/2008 12:12 pm